It is often desirable to stabilize/immobilize one or more facet joints of the spine of a patient in the treatment of various spinal ailments/defects. Facet arthrodesis is used to fuse a facet joint including a superior facet and an inferior facet in spinal treatment operations.
There are numerous implants and associated methods for performing stabilization/immobilization. Conventional implants are bone screws that are threaded through the superior and inferior facets to immobilize the facet joint so as to permit the adjoined bone sections to fuse together.
Screws are the most common device used for facet fixation. Unfortunately, a facet screw can loosen or fracture, and may be difficult to gain the trajectory required for optimal placement.